Stepping Up
by Moondanser83
Summary: Seventeen year old Drake Parker's life if about to change, and all it will take is a phone call from his current girlfriend telling him that they need to talk, it's important, and the need to talk today.... Something's wrong, but will Drake have the coura
1. Chapter 1

**Stepping Up**

Drake sat on the arm of the faded red couch in the center of the bedroom he had shared with his step brother Josh for the past three years. His right foot tapped anxiously as he absent mindly ran his fingers over the smooth surface of his favorite Les Paul guitar. His slim gray cell phone lay silently on the table in front of him. The silence of the empty house echoed through his mind. His step-brother Josh was out with his irritating girlfriend, Mindy. Megan, their little sister was at oboe practice for another hour, and their parents were out of town for the weekend visiting family in Los Angeles. Drake tightened his grip on the neck of his guitar and crossed his feet, his left ankle rattled back and forth uncontrollably. It had been nearly an hour since his cell phone had chimed the opening cords of Live and Let Die by Paul McCartney, and that had been the last sound to reach Drake's ears, other than his own labored breathing and the rapid pounding of his heart.

Drake stared at the silent phone, and noticing a sudden tightness in his chest, he blew out a deep breath he didn't realize he had been holding. Quickly he sucked in another breath, but the relief went no further than his oxygen deprived lungs. Drake glanced at the clock on the nightstand beside Josh's bed, brushing hair out of his eyes, two o'clock. It had been ten after one when his phone had sounded. It had been Molly, the girl he had been dating for nearly three months, a personal record for Drake. A call from a pretty girl had never had this effect on Drake before, but something had been off in Molly's voice when she had asked him to meet her at The Premier at two-thirty that afternoon. Drake closed his eyes, his head dropping to his check, his shoulders rounding in a defeated posture. He liked Molly. She was by far the coolest girl he had dated in a long time, and he liked things how they were now, but Drake had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that whatever she wanted to talked to him about today would change the good thing that they had. Drake opened his eyes and glanced at the clock again. Two-fifteen. If he got in his car right now he could still make it in time, though no one had expected punctuality from him in years. Drake's eyes wondered back to his phone. He hated walking into any situation that he wasn't in control of, and he knew that he would not be dominating this conversation.

With a deep sigh Drake dragged himself of the arm of the couch, shoved his phone in his pocket and grabbed the keys to his beat up '66 Galaxy. Once in the car Drake turned the music up to a volume that nearly vibrated his windows, and began the fifteen mile drive to the movie theater where he had spent most of his free time since he was fifteen. Drake's mind wandered as he drove down the familiar streets towards the center of town, and he found himself thinking about a wonderful night he had spent with Molly a few weeks before.

_The night was warm, but not uncomfortable, the full moon made the nearly invisible clouds shimmer with silver light. It was well after midnight, but Drake knew that no one would be looking for him. That night he had waited until he was sure that everyone was asleep before sneaking out of the house, silently rolling his car to the end of the driveway before starting it. Now he lay on the moonlit beach staring up at the iridescent cloud. One arm held Molly, who lay beside him wrapped in his favorite blue shirt. Drake pulled his eyes away from the sky and glanced down at her. He knew his reputation, he knew that nearly everyone, including his own brother, thought that he would sleep with any girl who gave him the chance, and for the most part that didn't bother him because he knew the truth. He had only been with two girls in his life, and the second one was currently curled up against him, her steady, shallow breathing telling him that she had fallen asleep. _

Drake shook his head and looked around, surprised to find himself parked in his usual spot in the parking lot of The Premier. He leaned forward resting his forehead against the smooth wooden steering wheel, mentally preparing himself for whatever was to come. After several long minutes Drake blew out one last deep breath, and praying that this conversation would not involve tears, climbed out of the car. The theater was surprisingly empty for a Saturday afternoon and Drake found Molly easily. She sat alone at a table in the corner of the room, her curly brown hair shielding her face from view, but from her posture Drake could tell that she was staring down at the gray and pink Formica table top. Defiantly not a good sign. She did not look up when he sat down across from her, and for a split second Drake though he saw tears shimmering in the tips of her eyelashes. Drake fidgeted in the hard plastic seat, crossing his ankles and shifting the small salt shaker in front of him from hand to hand as he waited for her to speak. A minute crawled by in silence, then Molly looked up. Her pretty face was drawn. Pale purple smudges made her usually bright blue eyes seem almost washed out. Drake braced himself, unsure of what to expect.

She stared at him for a moment, her eyes roaming his face before she spoke.

"Drake," her voice quivered, "I'm pregnant." She said quietly, and then burst into tears.

Drake stared in shock, his previously pounding heart stood perfectly still in his chest and his breath caught in his throat for what seemed like an eternity before the world began spinning again. He stared, eyes glazed, at the sobbing girl before him, then silently lowered his head to the table. He didn't know how long they sat like that, Molly crying, Drake struggling to breathe, but after a while Drake noticed that the ragged breathing he had been listening to had slowed into deep, steady breaths. A hand timidly touched Drake's arm and he finally looked up.

Molly still sat in the chair across from him, her narrow fingers resting lightly on his arm. Her face red and blotchy from crying, but her eyes were now dry, as though she had simply run out of tears.

Drake cleared his throat, "You're sure?" His voice was raspy and weak, and it made him feel ashamed.

Molly nodded.

Drake couldn't bring himself to ask the second question that was plaguing his mind. He knew that it was only a fleeting thought, a wish perhaps, that he could blame this on someone else, but Drake knew that Molly was not the type of girl to run around, and he knew that he had been her first. Slowly sounds from the world around him began to seep in, two girls giggled as they walked by him, from the corner of his eye he could see Crazy Steven closely inspecting the imitation butter dispenser, in the distance a small child's cry echoed off the linoleum. Drake felt his chest tighten once again and fought to breathe as panic crept up on him. How could he tell his mother what he had done? He was barely seventeen, and three hours ago his biggest concern was the fact that the high E string on his guitar kept going flat. Now his world crashed down around him as he realized that before his eighteenth birthday Drake Parker would be a father.

Sweat ran in rivers down his back and Drake could feel the blood pounding in his temples, for a moment he was honestly afraid that he would pass out. He looked at Molly again, and saw his own fears echoed in her over-bright blue eyes, and that was all he could take. Panic over-road everything else and Drake jumped out of his seat. Molly did not move. She sat perfectly still staring up at him, waiting to see what he would do, what he would say.

"I have to go." Drake stuttered, "I have to… think." He finished weakly. He could feel himself ripping apart at the seams, and knew he had to get out of the theater before he fell apart in public. "I'll call you… tonight...I'll…." and as panic swallowed his last breath Drake turned and sprinted out of the theater and to the sanctuary of his own car.

Once he was safely out of the public eye he let the fear and panic swallow him whole. His body trembled as the tears he had been fighting back fell freely leaving small wet stains on the front of his shirt. He sat there until the trembling was nearly under control and the tears had stopped. Slowly Drake put his car in gear and backed out of the parking spot. He glanced at his watch and realized that he had been there for less than an hour and it was only three-thirty. His parents wouldn't be back for another day, Josh was probably still with Mindy and Megan would probably go to her friend Jenny's after oboe practice, so the house would still be empty, if he went home. Drake weighed his options, he really didn't want to go home, to sit in the empty house with nothing to distract him, but he didn't feel up to social interaction either. He needed a place where he wouldn't be alone, but wouldn't be required to actually talk to anyone. Drake idled at the stop sign at the end of the parking lot, if he turned left road would lead him towards home, but if he turned right it would take him straight out to Interstate -8. Drake blew out a breath, wiped his eyes one last time, and shifting into first gear turned right.

Less than an hour later Drake walked through the gates of SeaWorld, hands shoved in his jacket pockets, head down. He did not look at any one as he passed, and began to wander aimlessly around the park. After a while Drake realized that he had walked all the way to the far end of the park without even noticing where he had been going. A sudden noise caught his attention and Drake looked up. In front of him a picnic table sat on a small patch of grass beneath the shade of a large tree. A man was sitting on the table; his crisp tan pants hiked up slightly as a bounced a small child on his knee. The child giggled and clapped as Drake stared. Could he really do that? Could he step up and be the father he had never really had?

Drake knew very little about his father, he had a vague image of a tall man with shaggy brown hair, but Joe Parker had left their little family only a few weeks after Drake's mother has announced that she was pregnant with Megan. Drake had been five years old, and remembered trying to figure out why his daddy didn't love him anymore. After that it had just been Drake, his mom, and a few months later Megan. His father had shown up a few times over the years, but only once since Audrey had married Walter Nichols. It was then, watching this stranger bounce the giggling child and thinking about his own father, that Drake made his decision. Not only would he be this child's father, he would be the best father ever. Head up, eyes bright, Drake quickly made his way back across the park and out the gates into the parking lot. He located his car easily, climbed in, revved the engine once, and bolted out of the parking lot turning north on Interstate 8, back to his home, back to his family, and back to child he no longer feared.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Drake's cell phone sounded just as he coasted into the parking lot of The Premier. He glanced down at the read out and groaned when he saw his little sister's name. Didn't she know he was in the middle of a personal crisis?

"Yes Megan." He answered after the fourth ring.

"Boob." She greeted him. "I need a ride home from Jenny's."

Drake sighed, "Can't you call Josh?"

"Yeah, tried, no answer." She told him sharply, "why else would I call you?"

Drake glanced at his watch, "Can you wait an hour? I'm kind of in the middle of something."

"Whatever." Megan huffed, "Just don't forget me, again." and she disconnected.

Drake jammed the cell phone back into his pocket as he circled the lot searching for Molly's electric blue Neon. He really didn't want to deal with his sister right now, and was tempted to try Josh himself, but knew he would not get an answer. Megan only called him for a ride as a last resort, and Drake knew that.

Ten minutes later Drake pulled out of the parking lot and turned towards home. Molly's car had not been there, and Drake knew that it had been foolish to think that is would be. Traffic was light and he made it to his neighborhood quickly. Thinking that perhaps Molly has just gone home Drake turned onto her street. Once again there was no sign of the little blue Neon. Resigned, Drake turned around and went to pick up his sister.

He knew he should call Molly, but Drake didn't know how to start. It was sure to be an awkward conversation, and Drake decided to wait until her dropped his sister off at home before he tried to find Molly again. Megan was sitting on the front step with Jenny when Drake pulled up. He stared at the two girls for a moment, mentally comparing them. Megan has the same reddish-brown hair as him and though her eyes and skin were slightly darker than her brothers there was not mistaking their resemblance. Jenny, on the other hand, was a pale blonde with large blue eyes and Drake wondered if his child would favor him or Molly genetically. Either way he or she would have dark hair, but would they get his light coffee colored eyes or Molly's blue? Drake shook his head slightly as a slight feeling of panic descended once again, but by the time Megan buckled herself in beside him Drake has managed to control the trembling in his hands, mostly.

Megan started at her brother as he backed the old teal car out of the driveway. Something was wrong, she could tell. The air in the car seemed heavier and she noticed his hand tremble once when he reached down to shift gears. The fact that something was wrong with Drake didn't bother her, but the fact that he hadn't said anything yet concerned her. She knew her brother, probably better than he knew himself, and his behavior was off. Drake was the kind of person who wore his emotions on his sleeve. Whether he was happy, sad or angry everyone knew it but this quiet, trembling, Drake was something she had never seen before.

It was a quiet drive home, Drake's favorite Zero Gravity CD playing softly in the background. Megan glanced up at her brother from time to time but did not speak. Drake chewed on the side of his nail as he drove, his expression tense. When they turned onto their street Megan saw Josh's secondhand, gray Corsica just pulling into the driveway.

"Hey Boob!" she called as she climbed out of Drake's car, "Why didn't you answer when I called?"

Josh stared at his little sister a confused look as he pulled a flat black phone out of his pocket.

"Shoot!" he muttered after a quick glance, " Battery must have died. That's the third time this week." He complained.

Megan shot him an irritated look then turned and closed the car door. Before she was more than a few steps away Drake was backing out of the driveway. He waved absently, then motored off back towards town.

"What's up with him?" Josh asked as he watched his brother drive away.

Megan shrugged, "Don't know." She said quietly, then unlocked the front door and stepped inside.

Drake did not have a particular destination in mind as he drove. All the streets looked the same and cars passed in muted blurs as he wandered aimlessly around his neighborhood. He had grown up here, knew these streets by heart, and couldn't help imagining what type of neighborhood his own child would grow up in. The thought made his fingers tighten on the steering wheel.

_I can't do this_, he thought to himself. _I can barely take care of myself! I'm not ready to be a father…_

Drake felt his breath catch in his throat once again as he admitted to himself the thing that scared him the most. _What if I screw up?_

It took several minutes of deep breathing to fend off the oncoming panic attack, and by the time Drake looked around again the sun was setting and he was nearly to the coast. _How long have I been driving around? _ He wondered glancing down at his watch. It was nearly eight, almost two hours since he had dropped Megan off at home and the needle on his gas gauge was nearly on empty. Drake pulled into a gas station just off the highway, _when did I get on the highway? _he mused. He sat in the car for a minute once he pulled up to a pump, trying to figure out exactly where he was, then realized that he was only a mile or so from the beach, the beach where he was met up with Molly that beautiful night only a few short weeks ago. It felt like an eternity had passed since that night. As he filled his tank Drake realized that there was a good chance that Molly might be sitting at that very beach, after all, Drake admitted to himself, she was probably just as scared as him.

As Drake pulled away from the gas station a lump lodges itself in his throat. He swallowed hard, trying to clear it, but it was useless. The closer he got to the beach, the larger the lump grew. Drake spent most of the short drive just trying to remember to breathe, but when he pulled into the empty lot the sob that had been caught in his throat broke free blurring his vision.

_I should just call her. _Drake thought as he shifted into park and unbuckled his seatbelt. _This is ridiculous, just driving around hoping to find her. _Drake pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and stared at the faintly glowing time. He was out of ideas, he couldn't think of another place that Molly might be, but just the thought of dialing her number made his stomach quiver. _I need to talk to her. I need to tell her…_ tell her what? That he wasn't going to bail on her? That he wasn't going to run away, to shirk the responsibility? After all that's what he was known for, no one ever depended on Drake Parker for anything._ You can't do this. _The voice in the back of his head told him. _They would be better off without you. You'll just screw it up, just like you screw everything else up. _ Drake coughed choking on the lump that was still lodged in his throat. _What if the voice was right? Could he really risk messing up someone else's life? Chicken! _ Another mental voice yelled. _Man up! You helped make this miss and you need to do what's right. Have you learned nothing from your brother? He would do the right thing. _ Drake cringed at the thought of his brother. He knew that Josh would be there for him through anything, but he could all ready see the disappointment in his brother's eyes when he told him the news. In his mind Drake could hear Josh's voice, _you did what? Drake how could you be so irresponsible? Oh my God, how are you going to tell mom and dad? Ok, well that was a shock, but don't worry Drake, I have you're back. You know I'll always have your back. _

The imagined conversation ended there, even in his own mid Drake could not admit to Josh just how scared he was. Drake lowered his head to the steering wheel once again, _this is getting old, _he thought to himself, _time to man up, _and with that final thought Drake lifted his head, blew out a breath, and opened his cell phone.

His hand trembled as he scrolled past the numbers of countless girls he had dated over just the past two years until he reached the letter M. Madison, Mary, Mattie, Melody, Meredith, Miranda and finally Molly. Each name had a picture attached to it making it easier for Drake to keep track, but the only image he saw was the one of Molly. It had been taken on their third date. He remembered that he had taken her to the fair and won her a fluffy stuffed rabbit throwing darts multicolored balloons. In the photo Molly hugged the rabbit to her chest, and wide grin split her face, her blue eyes sparkling in the afternoon sunlight. Drake was just about to hit the send button when a pair of headlights caught his attention, and a small blue neon pulled up beside him.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Drake closed his phone and stared straight ahead. He knew who would be in the car next to his, and he wasn't sure if he was really ready to face her. Minutes crawled by as Drake stared at the sand dune that blocked his view of the beach not looking up until he heard the engine of Molly's car go silent. He waited for the sound of a car door closing, but was only met with silence. Finally Drake turned his head towards the other car and saw Molly sitting there in the same stiff pose he knew he had been in only seconds before. He stared at her for a moment watching her shoulders rise and fall as she struggled to keep her breathing even, then, sucking in a deep breath of his own, Drake climbed out of the car. When he stood Drake found that his knees were weak and his feet unsteady and bowed his head in shame when he was forced to lean back against his car to keep from falling. He hadn't realized just how much the day had taken out of him, but now, when he needed it most, he felt his strength abandon him.

Several deep breaths later Drake managed to step away from his car and slowly walk around to Molly's driver's side window. She did not turn to face him, nor did she acknowledge his presence, and after a brief internal debate Drake tapped quietly on the glass.

It was well after midnight hen Drake cut the engine and quietly rolled his car up the driveway. The house was dark and Drake was glad that Josh hadn't waited up for him. When he turned his key in the front door the sound of the tumblers echoed loudly in the darkness. Once inside Drake ducked into the kitchen and grabbed a Moca Cola before heading up to his room. The landing was just as quiet as the rest of the house. Megan's door was closed, but the door to the room that Drake shared with his step-brother was slightly ajar. Drake couldn't' help smiling. Josh had developed this habit a year or two earlier, leaving the door cracked open whenever they looked after their little sister. He said it was so he could hear her if anything happened, but Josh was such a sound sleeper that Megan could scream for an hour and he would never hear it. Drake on the other hand hear d everything.

Shaking his head Drake slipped into his room. The moonlight coming through the open window turned everything a ghostly silver and Drake paused for a moment beside his brother's bed. Josh lay on his stomach, his face buried in his pillow, one arm thrown above his head. His blankets were in their usual tangle around his knees. Josh would know what to do, he always did, once he got passed the shock and disappointment, but Drake wasn't quite ready to talking about it yet. Quietly he left the side of Josh's bed and made his way to the foot of his own. Against the wall near the platform that held his bed were three guitars. His favorite Les Paul's shinny red surface reflected the moonlight, beside it was a Fender Stratocaster with a shimmering blue finish, and finally, tucked into the corner was an old acoustic. The varnish no longer shone, and there was obvious wear in spots, but Drake had never considered throwing it out, or even having it refinished. The beat up old guitar had been the last present from his father before Joe had disappeared from his life. Drake picked up the guitar by the neck using his palm to mute the strings, then slung the soft leather strap over his should and left the room closing the door tightly behind him.

Megan woke when she heard a light thump outside her window. Like her brother she was a light sleeper and the quiet sound was all it took to have her sitting up in bed. She watched her open window intently, he hand resting on a remote that would give any intruder a nasty shock, but she relaxed when she was a familiar shadow pass by. There was a quiet scrapping noise followed by the muted hum of guitar strings as Drake settled himself on the roof above her window. She listened as he began to play, and the tune was vaguely familiar. She knew it was a new song and that he had been working on it a few days ago. It was a slow song, a balled, and Megan closed her eyes, listening, when her brother began to sing.

"…_and in the end_

_are you stronger?_

_Do you no longer_

_need to recover…?"_

His voice cracked and broke, but his playing never faltered. Megan climbed out of her bed, shrugging on a pale purple robe, and moved to the white antique rocking chair that sat beside the window as her brother moved onto another song. It was a song she had never heard before. After a few bars she realized that he was still writing this one, his strumming slowing at each cord change as he decided what note to play next. Even in it's rough form Megan could tell that this song would be a lullaby, and she rocked in time in the old white chair.

A short time later, after Drake had made it through a full verse and most of what seemed to be a bridge, the music stopped. Megan stopped rocking and listened, waiting to see if he would start again. A minute or two later the music began again, and this song Megan knew well. She leaned back in her chair, rocking slowly, and felt her eyes grow heavy as her brother began to sing once again.

"_Blackbird singing in the dead of night_

_Take these broken wings and learn to fly_

_All your life_

_You were only waiting for this moment to arise…"_

She knew that their mother used to sing this song for her brother when he had been little, and that he had sung t for Megan when she was just a baby. She remembered her mother telling her that there had been times when the only way she would stop crying as a baby was when her brother would play this particular song for her. Megan never heard the song end, and her chair had ceased its slow rocking somewhere during the second verse. She never heard her brother climb down the ladder, never saw him peak in her window. Megan slept soundly as images of blackbirds flying through a moonlit night filled her dreams. In the background she heard a guitar being gently strummed, and over it all was the quiet sound of muffled weeping.

Drake felt marginally better when he put the ladder away and slipped back into the kitchen through the back door. He was been playing his way through troubles on that roof top since he had been old enough to climb up there, at first just writing lyrics, then later on adding music to them. He remembered being thirteen and sitting on that roof clutching the second hand guitar his father had given him the same day that his mother had told him that Joe wouldn't be visiting anymore. He had sat up there the night Walter and Josh had moved in, and the night after his grandfather's funeral. Usually Drake felt much better by the time he climbed down, but he still had a heavy feeling in his chest, and knew that this problem just might be too big for even his guitar to conquer.

Earlier that night he had sat on the beach with Molly for hours just talking. They had talked about what they would do, how they would tell their parents. They talked about their fears and how they knew that they weren't ready for this. Drake had never had a conversation as honest as this one with anyone, not even Josh. He had admitted how scared he was, and how ashamed. He apologized over and over again for running out of the movie theater, and Molly told him repeatedly that there was nothing to forgive, that she understood. He tried to blame himself, telling her that he should have been more careful, but Molly had taken his face in her hands and told him that they were in this together, that they shared the blame equally. With her sitting there, holding him, Drake had began to believe that he could really do this, but the moment he had climbed back into his car, alone, the fears and panic had come crashing back down on him.

Drake slipped back into his room, put his guitar away and changed into his pajamas. He crawled into bed and stared up at the ceiling. He was exhausted, but afraid to close his eyes, afraid of what his subconscious mind would show him. Eventually his eyes closed and his mind began to wander. As he fell asleep he had a comforting thought.

"_It might not be tonight_

_Tomorrow or the next day_

_But everything is gonna be ok…"_

_That would make a great song,_ Drake thought to himself, and this drifted into sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

When Drake opened his eyes again sunlight was pouring in through the window at the head of his bed. He rubbed his face and glanced at the clock. The red, digital display read 9:47, beyond that Drake could see that Josh's bed was empty and neatly made. This surprised Drake. Josh usually slept in on Sunday mornings and it was slightly disorientating for Drake to wake in an empty room. Stretching his arms above his head he closed his gritty eyes. It had been a long night, and he was tempted to roll over and grab a little more sleep, but Drake know that he had to talk to Josh before their parents got home that day. With a heavy sigh he rubbed his eyes once more then sat up in bed.

The house was quiet when he padded downstairs. A note on the counter told him that Josh was dropping Megan off any Janie's and then heading into work until three because Gavin had called out. Running his fingers through his already disheveled hair Drake open the refrigerator in search of breakfast. He still had a few hours to figure out how he was going to explain his situation to his brother. Just the thought of that unavoidable conversation had Drake chewing restlessly on his bottom lip. After a moment he closed the refrigerator door and left the kitchen empty handed, his appetite gone. In the living room Drake stretched out on the couch and turned on the television. Idly he flipped through the channels without paying attention to the images that flickered across the screen. His mind wondered as he flipped, and Drake found himself wondering what Molly was doing. His leg began to bounce as nervous energy flooded through his body. Shaking his head Drake gave up on the idea of zoning out in front of the television and stood up turning off the flickering screen before tossing the remote onto the coffee table.

_A shower is what I need to clear my head_. Drake told himself, but as he made his way around the couch a picture on the far wall caught his attention. It was one of him holding Megan. He couldn't have been more then six or seven years old in the picture, yet his arms wrapped protectively around his baby sister. He remembered his mother showing him how to hold her so that her neck was supported and his grip on her was secure, but not too tight. He looked so happy in the picture, so proud to be able to hold his little sister. Drake walked over to the wall and stared at the framed photograph taking in every detail, and it wasn't hard for him to find the sheen of terror in the eyes of the child he had been. It was hidden behind the pride and the joy, but it was still there, and Drake could see the same look reflecting back at him from the glass that protected the memory. After a moment his eyes wondered to the other pictures on the wall. Birthday parties, weddings, school pictures and little league games hung in neat rows and columns documenting his life from birth right up to the previous spring's junior prom picture. Drake felt his eyes dampen as he wondered if there would be a wall to document his child's life, and where that wall would be.

Suddenly Drake had an overwhelming urge to see Molly, to talk to her, to hold her. Turning quickly Drake sprinted up stairs, twenty minutes later he returned to the living room, fully dressed, his hair still damp from the shower. Smiling for the first time all morning Drake left the house, an apple in one hand, his car keys dangling from the other.

Traffic was light and Drake managed to drive the few blocks to Molly's house quickly.

He debated on calling her, but when he saw that her blue Neon was the only car parked in front of the small, one story ranch house he decided to just knock.

Head down, Drake walked up the narrow red brick path that led from the driveway to the front door. He hesitated a moment, hand raised, before knocking softly on the pale yellow door. While he waited Drake ran his fingers through his hair making it stick up in places, then with damp palms, smoothed it back down. After a long, silent moment Drake gave up and walked through the dry grass to the back of the house. As he neared Molly's bedroom window he found himself wondering if it would rain soon. He hoped so or else they would be facing another drought, and growing up in southern California , Drake knew that meant one thing, wild fires. The thought made him shudder as he gripped the edge of Molly's window and peaked inside.

Molly lay curled up on her bed beneath a pale blue blanket, music videos flickering quietly across the television across the room. Drake watched for a moment as she adjusted her grip on the pillow in front of her and snuggled her head against it. Quietly he tapped on the window. Molly jumped sending the long pillow flying off the bed, but when she saw Drake's face at her window a slow smile crossed her face. Pushing her hair back she climbed out of bed and crossed to the window. Drake felt his brain go foggy as he watched the thin pink material of her pajamas shift over her soft skin.

"Hey." Molly said quietly as she opened the window.

"Hey." Drake responded forcing his eyes up to her face.

Molly grinned, "You want to come in?"

Drake swallowed hard, "Yeah."

"I'll unlock the front door." She told him, the turned away from the window.

Drake watched Molly cross the room, tossing the pillow back onto her bed as she made her way to the door, then turned and sprinted back around the house. She met him at the door, and he couldn't help smiling as she pushed her long hair back behind her ears. She wore no makeup, and her eyes were still slightly puffy from sleep or crying he couldn't tell, but Drake still couldn't help thinking how beautiful she was. She wrapped her arms around him as he walked through the door and Drake kissed her gently.

"How are you?" he asked, her arms still hooked around his neck.

"Ok," she told him with a slight shrug, "just tired."

Drake hung his head, "I'm… we…" he sighed.

"I know," Molly said, guiding him through the house, "there's a lot to talk about."

Drake nodded. He had thought they had talked about everything possible the previous night, but now his head throbbed with unanswered question, possible scenarios, and a bad case of the 'what-ifs.' She led him down the hall to her room, Drake hesitated at the door, but Molly nudged him inside.

"What about your…" Drake started.

"Parents are at work, they won't be home until after five." Molly reassured him.

"Have you," Drake gulped, "have you told them yet?"

It was that question that had Drake swallowing hard, the question that he had come here to ask.

Molly shook her head, not quiet meeting Drake's eyes. "Not yet."

"Will they… how bad do you think they'll take it?" Drake asked pulling her against him.

"I don't think they'll be…pleased." Molly said with a sigh. "Honestly I don't know how they'll take it. Mom didn't have me until she was in her twenties, and was already married to dad. So there's no help there, and I don't think anyone else in the family was ever… in my, our, situation."

Drake tightened his grip on her, "We'll get through this." He promised quietly.

Molly rolled onto her toes and kissed Drake on the cheek, "You want to watch a movie?"

Drake forced a smile and nodded, "I'm thinking we could use a comedy." He said with a wink.

Molly smiled back, "How about The Princess Bride?"

"My favorite." Drake said with a wink.

They spent the remainder of the morning curled up on Molly's bed giggling as Westley fought to save Buttercup from the odious Prince Humperdinck. During the battle scenes Molly snuggled against Drake, his arms wrapped firmly around her, and when Buttercup realized that the man in black was her beloved Westley Molly rolled over in Drake's arms. The next time they looked at the screen the end credits scrolled upward as the music faded out.

Drake glanced at his watch, it was just after two in the afternoon, and he knew that if he wanted to catch Josh before he left work he would have to get moving soon. Drake glanced down at Molly. She lay beside him, her head on his shoulder, staring up at him.

"You have to go." She said quietly, it wasn't a question, and they both knew it.

Drake nodded, "I have to catch Josh before he leaves work, but I'll be back."

Molly cocked her head, a slightly confused look in her eyes.

Drake leaned down and kissed her forehead, "I'll be back tonight. I'll come back, and we'll tell your parents together."

Molly smiled, "Thank you." She breathed before stretching her neck up to kiss him. "Now go, I'll see you tonight."

Drake smiled, "I'll be here." Then climbing out of bed, he gathered his cloths, dressed quickly, and left the room. From the door way he turned and blew Molly a kiss before disappearing down the hall.

Alone, Molly stretched across her rumpled bed, Drake would be back later, and she wouldn't have to face her parents alone. As frightened as she was of her parent's reactions, knowing that Drake would stand beside her made the whole ordeal seem bearable. With a smile on her face Molly wrapped her arms around the soft pillow that still smelled of Drake and closed her eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Drake let his car idle in the parking lot of The Premier. From where he was sitting he could see both the front doors and Josh's car, so there was no chance of missing him. Five minutes later Drake saw his brother walk out of the theater, his red vest slung over his shoulder, talking to a petit girl with Asian features named Anna. When Josh turned away from Anna and towards his own car Drake tapped his horn and the sudden noise made Josh spin around so quickly that he nearly lost his balance. After a quick glance around the parking lot Josh noticed his brother's car parked a few spaces away and ambled over to the passenger side.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Josh asked when Drake leaned over and rolled down the window.

"Sorry." Drake mumbled. "Can you get in? We need to talk."

Josh frowned. It was rare for him to see his brother with such a serious expression and he climbed into the car without question. Drake shifted into gear and pulled out of the parking lot without a word. Josh waited patiently for Drake to speak, his fingers worrying the hem of his shirt. Ten minutes later Drake pulled into a small park a few miles from home. Josh found the silence unnerving and braced himself for the worse when Drake got out of the car and walked over to a near by picnic table. Josh followed and when Drake stepped up to sit on the table top Josh took a seat on the attached bench.

"Molly's pregnant." Drake finally said after what felt like an eternity of silence.

Josh felt his jaw drop and his hands gripped the wooden beach tightly. After a long pause Drake went on.

"She told me yesterday. She hasn't told her parents yet. I told her I'd be there with her when she did." Drake looked up, his eyes dry but glossy with fear, "How am I going to tell mom and Walter?"

Josh pried his fingers off the bench and turned to face his brother directly. A million lectures streamed though his mind, but one by one Josh rejected them knowing that none of them would take the freighted look out of his brother's eyes.

"And you're sure it's y--" Josh began, but Drake cut him off with a curt nod.

"When did this… happen?" Josh asked, still in shock.

"A few weeks ago…" Drake began counting backwards in his head, "a month and a half…" had it really been that long since they're night on the beach? "Yeah," Drake sighed, "about a month and a half ago."

Drake looked up at his brother, waiting for the lecture he had all ready heard in his head, but it never came.

"So aren't you going to tell me how badly I screwed up this time? Aren't you going to lecture me about responsibility? About how actions have consequences?" Drake asked bitterly.

"No." Josh said simply, "It sounds like you've covered it pretty well on your own, and there are going to be enough people telling you that you messed up. You don't need me to be one of them."

Drake looked down and fought back a tear that threatened to escape.

"You're the best." He said quietly.

"So when are you going to tell mom and dad?" Josh asked when Drake has composed himself.

"I'm thinking tonight before we tell Molly's parents." Drake said standing up on the bench. "I'm going to tell mom first, I don't think I can handle telling them together."

He hopped down to the ground and stood in front Josh.

"Thanks man." He said holding out a hand to help his brother up.

"For what?"

"For not lecturing me, for understanding… for being a great brother." Drake told him as they turned towards the car.

Just as settled himself and put the key in the ignition his phone rang. Glancing at the readout Drake blew out a breath and flipped his phone open.

"Hi mom. OK. Yeah, Josh is with me. Megan's at her friends. Yeah, we'll be home soon. OK, Yeah. Love you too." He closed the phone and dropped it back into the center console.

"Mom and dad home?" Josh asked.

"Yeah, they want us to pick up Megan on our way home."

"I'll get her." Josh volunteered, "Since you picked her up yesterday."

"Cool." Drake said with a nod, then turned up the volume on the radio and motored back towards the movie theater.

Twenty minutes later Drake pulled into the driveway and was surprised to see that his step father's car was missing.

"Hello?" he called as he walked through the front door. "Mom? Walter?"

"In the kitchen." Drake heard his mother call, and turned towards his voice.

As he pushed the swinging kitchen door open Drake noticed that his hand was trembling again and drew a deep breath.

"Hi mom." He said casually as he entered the kitchen.

"Hi hunny, how was everything while we were… Drake? Are you ok? You're really pale."

Drake sat down at the kitchen table, "I'm ok." He said quietly as his mother ran her cool hand over his forehead.

"Well you don't have a fever." Audrey looked at her son closely, "What's wrong Drake?"

Drake sighed, "I need to talk to you mom, it's kind of important."

Audrey sat down beside him crossing her legs and rattling her ankle. Seeing the familiar movement nearly made Drake laugh as he realized where he had inherited the gesture from.

"You're going to be mad." Drake began, not looking his mother in the eye.

"Hunny, whatever it is we'll find a way through it, nothings worth getting this upset over."

Drake rested his forehead on his hand and did not look up when he spoke.

"You remember Molly, the girl I've been dating for the past couple months?"

Audrey nodded, though she knew her son couldn't see it, "Yes, she's a very nice girl. Did something happen between you two?"

"Sort of…" Drake breathed, "A few weeks ago, well more like about six weeks ago, I snuck out after you all went to bed."

Drake glanced up through his fingers and saw the crease beginning to form between his mother's eyebrows. Looking back down he went on.

"I picked Molly up, she snuck out her window, and we went to the beach."

Drake paused and rubbing his face sat up straight in his chair.

Audrey frowned, "Obviously I'm not happy about you sneaking out, and yes you're going to be grounded, but its not the end of the world."

Audrey's eyes roamed her son's pale face, "But that's not the news you need to tell me is it?"

Drake shook his head, "No."

Drawing a deep breath and bracing himself Drake finally met his mother's eyes, "She's pregnant."

Drake held the breath as he watched his mother, anxiously waiting for a reaction.

It was a long minute by the time Audrey found her voice, "Oh Drake." She said quietly.

Drake blew out the breath that was making his lungs burn. Anger he had been prepared for, tears he could have dealt with, but the quiet disappointment in his mother's voice hurt him more than he could have expected.

There was a long silence where Audrey sat staring at her son, her vision blurring as she thought about how much his life was about to change. Drake sat staring down at the table, his foot rattling back and forth in an unconscious imitation of his mother. When Audrey finally moved Drake looked up and was surprised to see her pulling her cell phone out of her pocket.

"Walter? Hey hunny. I just wanted to let you know that you, Josh and Megan are on your own for dinner tonight. Yeah, Drake and I have something to take care of so… no, I'm not sure what time we'll be back. All right, if you need anything I'll have my phone on. Love you too."

"Where are we going?" Drake asked his mother as she slid the phone back into her pocket.

"For a ride." She told him as she shrugged her purse over her shoulder and grabbed her car keys.

Slightly confused Drake followed his mother out of the house and to her shiny red VW Bug parked in the driveway.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Drake felt odd climbing into the passenger seat of his mother's car. Since the day he finally managed to get his license Drake had made a point of being in the driver's seat whenever possible. Sitting beside his mother in the little car made Drake feel even younger than he was, and brought back memories of riding in the car with his mother after his father had left, and long before she had meet Walter. Drake shook his head and tried to concentrate on where his mother was going. Fifteen minutes later they were parked on the soft shoulder of a winding, cliff-side road watching the sun set over the city.

When the streetlights below began to glow Audrey finally spoke.

"I had just turned eighteen when I found out I was pregnant with you." She began quietly, staring straight ahead.

Drake turned to face his mother when she paused. He knew she had been young when he had been born, but he had never actually done to math to figure out just how young.

"I had been dating Joe, you're father, for just shy of a year at that point. My mother hated him." She laughed wiping away a tear. "She always told me he was nothing but trouble. The musician with the dark hair and the dangerous smile… 'boys in bands will break your heart' she always told me. But I didn't care. I was young and in love. He was a few years older then me, and had a leather jacket and black Ducati, what wasn't to love? He would sing for me when we were alone, and his voice could melt butter. You got that from him you know, you're music." She said looking over at her son, "I couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, but I loved to listen to him sing."

"I never realized you were, you were so young when you had me. I never really thought about it." Drake said unbuckling his seatbelt and tucking one leg under the other.

Audrey nodded. "Joe freaked when I told him. It was only a few weeks after my birthday, and his band was talking about trying to go on tour. He didn't believe me at first, tried to tell me that I was lying, then that it wasn't his. We argued and he left on his bike. It was nearly a week before I heard from him again."

Drake hung his head in shame, "I panicked when Molly told me, I ran out of The Premier like it was on fire." Drake looked up at his mother, "But I went back, it took me a few hours so calm down, but I went back"

Audrey nodded and reached over to brush her son's hair out of his eyes, "Joe came back too, thought it took him a bit longer to deal with what was going on. He was all apologies and promises when he showed up at my door, flowers in hand. We told my parents that night. I won't bore you with the details, but your grandparents were less then pleased and I moved out that night."

"Gram kicked you out?" Drake asked, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"Not in so many words, but we'll say it was sometime before we had the relationship that we have now."

"So you went to my father's?" Drake asked hesitantly.

"Not at first." Audrey admitted. "I was still made at him for taking off the way he did, and I wasn't quiet ready to let him off the hook yet, so I stayed with my older sister, your Aunt Kelly for a while. She had her own place then, it was a small apartment, but she took me in even helped my find a job. I didn't actually move in with Joe until just after you were born."

Audrey ran her hand over her son's hair and thought about those first few months at her sister's house. She remembered how scared she had been, and how grateful she was that there had been someone for her to turn to.

"I know you're scared Drake." She said taking his chin gently in her hand forcing him to look up at her, "But we'll get through this." She let go of his face, resting her hand on his shoulder. "I'm glad you knew that you could come to me with this, and I want you to know that even though we both know you two are too young to be parents, I'm going to help you get through this."

Drake felt a single tear of relief trickle down his cheek. He wasn't going to have to do this alone, and he felt the huge weight of it lift from him shoulders. Drake leaned over and hugged his mother.

"Thank you " he whispered just as his phone chimed.

Glancing down at the read out he saw that it was a text message from Molly.

"Her parents are home." He said, reading the message.

"Lets get over there then." Audrey told him as she pulled the seatbelt across her.

Drake smiled, "Yeah." He breathed, buckling his own seatbelt. "Let's go."

A short time later Audrey pulled into the drive way of the little white house with the yellow door. There were three cars in the driveway, Molly's blue Neon, her mother's black Mercedes and her fathers Green Land Rover.

"Do you want me to come in with you?" Audrey asked as Drake unbuckled his seatbelt.

Drake paused and considered his mother's offer. As much as he would love the support he felt as if it would be a sign of weakness to bring his mother in with him. Drake stared at the yellow door and tried to picture himself standing beside Molly telling her parents what they had done. The thought made him shudder, and weakness or not, he wanted his mother there.

"Yeah," he told her, "I think it would help."

Audrey nodded and climbed out of the car following her son to the front door. Before he knocked Drake pulled his phone out of his pocket and texted Molly, 'I'm here.' He gave her a minute to get the message, and then knocked. A few seconds later Molly opened the door.

"Drake." She said with a wobbly smile, "Mrs. Parker…" she hesitated, "Does she…?"

"I told her." Drake assured his girlfriend, "It's going to be ok. Where are your parents?"

Molly bit her lower lip, "They're in the living room."

Drake reached down and took her hand, "Come on then, lets get this over with." And together they walked into the living room.

Molly's fingers tightened convulsively around Drakes when they entered the living room, and he found himself tracing small circles on the back of her hand with his thumb, desperately trying to calm both of them down.

"Hello Drake." A petite woman said looking up away from the television. She stood, "You must be Drake's mother."

"Audrey Parker." Drake's mother filled in stepping forward to shake the woman's hand.

"Sue Fletcher, and that's my husband Rick." She said gesturing to the man behind her. "So what do we owe this visit?"

Molly's hands began to tremble and Drake was forced to swallow hard to clear the lump that was suddenly blocking his throat.

"I think we should all sit down." Audrey said calmly.

Sue looked resentful at being told to sit in her own house but said nothing.

Drake and Molly perched nervously on the edge of the couch across from Molly's parents with Audrey beside them.

Audrey looked at her son and blew out a breath seeing the fear in his eyes began to speak.

"As I'm sure you know Drake and Molly have been dating for a few months."

The look in Rick Fletcher's eyes told Audrey that he was well aware of her son's relationship with her daughter, and did not approve.

Taking a steadying breath she went on. "Well it seems that Drake and Molly have gotten into a… well, a bit of trouble."

Before Audrey could finish her sentence Rick was out of his chair and heading directly for Drake.

"You got my daughter pregnant you little bastard!" he yelled as he lunged for Drake.

"Rick! Don't!" Sue yelled.

Drake shifted himself so his body blocked Molly's and stared up at the man who's face was turning a brilliant shade of red.

"I'll kill you! I swear I will!" Rick shrieked.

"You lay a finger on my son and it will be the last thing you touch." Audrey said in a quiet, lethal voice that had Rick stopping dead in his tracks as Drake's head snapped around to look at his mother.

Without looking away from Rick Audrey continued to speak. "Molly, go upstairs and pack a bag. You're coming home with us. Drake, hunny, why don't you go help her."

Silently Drake and Molly slipped out of the room and up the stairs.

Less than five minutes later Drake and Molly came back down the stairs carrying a black duffle bag a backpack and a pillow. Audrey was waiting for them near the front door, Molly's parents could bee seen sitting together in the living room, silently staring at a spot on the wall six inches above the television set.

Drake loaded the bags into the trunk as Molly situated herself in the back seat of the car. When he slid into the passenger seat beside his mother she shifted gears and backed out of the driveway. As soon as Molly's house was out of sight Audrey looked over at Drake.

"Nobody threatens my son." She said fiercely.

Drake couldn't help it, glancing back at Molly, he tried to stifle a laugh.

"I don't know what you said to them," Drake said as his mother turned towards their house, "But remind me never to make you that angry."

Audrey laughed out loud as they pulled into the driveway.

"Come one guys, lets go see what Walter ordered for dinner." She said as they unloaded the car and made their way to the house. "We'll eat, and after dinner we'll let the rest of them know that Molly is going to be staying with us for a while."

"You're awesome mom." Drake said quietly and kissed her on the check as she held the door open for him.

"Get in there." She said swatting him playfully,

"It's ok Molly." Audrey said quietly as the still trembling girl slipped by her, "It's going to be ok."


End file.
